Updated: December 12, 2023
Episode 137: Three EASY Steps to Get Ready for Thanksgiving
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Are you worried about going into f-it mode with food during the holidays?
It can be way easier than you think.
Hell. What if Thanksgiving could actually be a day you enjoy the food without guilt on Friday?
THE HOLIDAYS HAPPEN EVERY YEAR. IT’S TIME TO LEARN HOW TO ENJOY FOOD AND LOSE WEIGHT INSTEAD OF JUST THROWING YOUR WEIGHT GOALS OUT THE WINDOW.
I often hear from my private clients…
The holidays are too hard.
OR
F-it. It’s just one day. Pass the mac and cheese.
OR
I know! I’ll just give up carbs for the week. That’ll do it.
Does that sound like you?
Don’t worry. If you have said any of the above, I can teach you how to make this Thanksgiving a day you actually THANK YOURSELF come Monday morning.
Here are three easy steps to get ready for Thanksgiving:
Step 1: You gotta know what you are thinking BEFORE the day comes. Start today. Write down all your fears for a few days on a piece of paper.
Step 2: Remind yourself what the day is actually about. It doesn’t just have to be about the food. Writing down other things to focus on is so helpful.
Step 3: Create a plan for the day. I taught you how to do this in my free course. You simply plan out what you want to eat and as a bonus write out a few things that just aren’t worth it.
This week’s podcast is all about these three steps, how to make them easy to do and why they’re necessary if you want things to lose weight during the holidays.
No more worrying.
No dread.
As a bonus nugget I’ll teach you a stupid easy way to figure out what to eat on Thanksgiving. It will help you with your plan.
Check out the full episode at www.phit.click/podcast
Show Notes:
The tribe is going through Handling the Holidays. They are working on identifying their triggers. What are the people, statements, and food that trigger them to want to eat?
Handling the Holidays is a course that Corinne wrote for the tribe members.
Somebody asked Corinne how to get the candy to stop talking to her. Corinne said you can have all the candy you want and you don’t even have to plan it, but you have to put on a costume and go door-to-door and trick-or-treat like an 8-year-old. If you do that, then you’ve earned your candy. If you’re not willing to do that, quit complaining.
The tribe does Handling the Holidays every November to December. Corinne teaches a process to still lose weight even during the holidays.
Thanksgiving tends to be tougher for people who don’t have a good relationship with food. Every bullshit thing you have with food is presented to you on a platter. This is an opportunity to know what you’re still working on. Rather than eat your face off over the holidays, you can use it as a time to learn more about yourself.
As hosts, Kathy basically gives a hug and says “get in there girl!” Corinne is kicking your ass and shaking you and says “we can do this.” Corinne is the coach and Kathy is the cheerleader.
Three Tips for Thanksgiving:
#1 – Notice what you’re thinking ahead of time
Take 10-15 minutes before your road trips or before you have people over and write down what you’re afraid of. “I’m afraid people will say these things” “I’m afraid of these foods” “I’m afraid to…” Let your brain go wild. Then you can see “oh, this is why I’m worried.”
Everything that you write down is just what you’re thinking. What else could I be thinking instead?
[Corinne and Kathy go on a tangent about kids being loud]
Kathy struggles with the sweet aunt that brings something she knows Kathy loves and says “I made this for you.” Kathy’s afraid of hurting her feelings. What is another way she can think about this? She could say no and shower the aunt with compliments.
Make a list of the bullshit you’re thinking otherwise you’ll default to the thought “the holidays are hard.” That thought will get your brain focusing on all the ways the holidays are hard. Write all the fears out and then try to see each one from a new perspective. The holidays could be easier than you’re thinking they could be.
When you see all your fears written out, it’s like “no wonder I think they’re hard.” I have a lot of thoughts and the holidays are just the holidays. If it feels hard, it’s because I’m choosing to think some of these things. If I want it to be easier, I need a couple to go to easier things to think about.
That’s what makes PNP so unique, it teaches you to be aware of what your brain is doing. Your brain drives you. Once you know the basics, it comes down to how you’re thinking about the holidays.
Don’t do some crash diet, like banning carbs. You’ll still have to smell the food and see it. Skip the bullshit and think “I think it could be easier if I just quit thinking a lot of bullshit about it.” [This phrase can be used for other things in life, not just the holidays]
Do this at least 5 days out and work on it a little bit each day. Look at the thoughts/fears you have written down the most, those are the ones to be most aware of. Those are the ones to have a go-to statement about or a strategy for. It will make the day easier.
Don’t go in braced and ready. Braced makes you sound like you’re looking for a fight. You are in control of yourself no matter what. You have your back. “I have a plan, I will execute it and I will feel good about myself tomorrow for it.”
#2 – Notice what the day is actually about
What do you want Thanksgiving to be about? Do you want it to be about what you can and can’t eat? Who you haven’t seen and dread seeing? Instead of being consumed by those thoughts, remember why you’re gathering or celebrating. What are we together in the first place? It is time to be together.
Choose not to stress about food. You don’t have to overeat. You don’t have to graze all day. You don’t have to know what’s being served. You can choose to just have a bite of something. One day is not an indicator of whether you can lose weight or keep it off. It’s one day where you can think healthfully about food and in a way that creates the life you want to have. It’s not a derailer day.
You want it to be about stress and greed, you can have that. You want it to be about love and connection and how lucky you are to be together, you can have that. Even if the family is arguing at least you’re together. I’d rather be together arguing than home stewing. Kathy appreciates how touchy-feely Corinne sounds 🙂
Kathy said that in her family they write down on paper something they are thankful for.
It’s nice to focus on what the day is about. What kind of day do you want to create? No matter whether you’re with family or your cat, you can create an amazing day filled with gratitude. [This lesson can be applied daily, not just on the holidays]
Each day you can work on your self-esteem or you can lower it. One tribe member had a grandfather that commented each year about her weight. A lot of members got so mad on her behalf. Corinne said that if he says it every year, why use it as an opportunity to lower your own self-esteem? Use it as an opportunity to think that he can say whatever he wants and you get to think whatever you want about yourself. You shouldn’t feel like shit because of someone else’s opinion. If you want to feel like shit because you listened to someone else’s opinion, own that. It’s your choice. Your opinion is the one that matters. You have to do the work on yourself to know those are wrong opinions about you.
[Another tangent] Give thanks for Corinne 🙂 July 12th is the holiday for Corinne. Her birthday 🙂 You need to learn to celebrate yourself. If it makes other people uncomfortable, it’s because they don’t celebrate themselves enough. IT FEELS REALLY GOOD TO ROLL AROUND IN YOUR OWN GREATNESS. Corinne knows she has faults and she works on them, but that doesn’t mean she’s going to spend all her time talking about them. Decide to feel good about yourself. You show up better when you feel good about yourself.
Take 5 minutes on Thanksgiving to give thanks for some things that you don’t normally give thanks for. Do that for people you aren’t always thankful for. If you want to think about other people in a way that makes you feel like shit, have at it. Or you can question what they could be teaching you with their behavior.
#3 – Write a plan
Even if you don’t know what you’re eating, you can still write a plan. Don’t eat at gas stations while traveling. Eat what you want at the meal, but don’t snack. Eat 2-2. No grazing. Don’t eat the things you don’t really love. Create a plan because you can be in control. You still may have some anxiety, but you’ll have some awareness around it that will make it feel easier.
Drink water and get a good night’s sleep. Both are important.
Kathy said that she doesn’t rush through her meal and tastes every bite.
Let the food earn its way in and love every bit. Be aware of when the bites don’t taste as good as the first bite did.
The tribe opens on December 29th. Go to www.pnp411.com and take the free course. You’ll get notified when the tribe opens.
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